Rotary engine



H. L. WEED.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 29.1918.

Patented J au. 20, 1920.

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HOWARD L. WEED, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

yROTARY ENGINE.

aaasnro.

j i Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented Jan, 20, 1920, Original application led SeptemberA 7, 1915, Serial No. 49,153.

\ Divided and this application led J'uly 29,

1918. Serial No.g247.176.

alternating piston type, more' particularly to means for sealing the jomts between the rotors and the casings and between the two rotors.

As to the first named feature of the invention, it consists 'in a floating ring interposed between the rotors and adapt d to both close the joint between thero rs and to reduce friction..

The second feature of the invention consists inparing construction comprising an expansible ring\ adapted to engage with a flaring surface to therebywedge ltself over toward-the corresponding rotor.

It further consists in a ring ofA this4 nature mounted ina ring Acarrier and arrangedy towedge the latter over against the rotor.

Again, it consists in a ring carrier having an annular pocket therein adapted to collect such gas as may leak through between the ring andthe flaring surface. y

The inventionfurther consists in the details of construction shown, described and claimed. e l

This application is a division of my application for patent. Serial Number 49,153,

filed Sept. 7, 1915, p

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of enough of an engine to show one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is ail-enlargedI fragmentary section showing more clearl Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a preferred joint between thel ends of one of the sealing rings.

In he embodiment of the inventionshown, the fixed easing includes the twoy intermediate sections 1 and the two end sections 2, each of the former including half of the ring-shaped Icylinder 3 and each of the latter having bearings 4 for the main engine shaft 5. Loosely mounted on the engine shaft inopposed relation to one another are the sleeves 8 and 9 to which the disks 10 and 11 of the rotors are secured. Between the disks and loose upon the shaft the other, thus securn the di is a packing and friction reducing disk 15. having an outer substantially flat portion or ring 16 against which the flat annular surfacesf-f18 on the rotor disks directly engage to form tight joints. p

These rotors each include a pair of pistons 19, but one of each pair being shown, and both travel in a forward direction each one alternately traveling forwardl faster than v erent phases of the cycle in a well own manner. 'The piston construction, as well as one form of mechanism whereby the relative movement of the rotors may be caused to rotate the shaft 5 is shown 1n my above identified application, these parts beingomitted in the present case inasmuch as the invention claimed herein is concerned with other matters. It will be understood that the disk 15 rotatesv aboutv the shaft in accordance with the relative movement of the rotors.

In order to seal the joints between the rotors and the casing sections, the latter are extended radiallyinwardly at 78 andv terminate in the cylindrical anges 79, these members forming two sides of annular pockets 'or grooves. The outer surfaces of said grooves are cylindrical forvsubstantially half their depths, as indicated at 80, and have their other halves flaring to the rotor disks at 8l. Seated within the pockets are ring carriers, each of which includes the base 82, the inner flange 83, the outer flange 84 and the intermediate'flange 85, that are parallel to each other and project at right angles to the base. The space between the outer and intermediate anges receives the resilient packing ring 88, one end of which is grooved at 89, the other end having a tongue- 90 fitting therein. Similarly, a second packing ring 91, differing from the ring 88 merely in that its outersurface is inclined .rotor sufficiently to maintain a proper seal between the {iatsurfaces of contact. 1t

will be noted that a similar action is caused by theresiliency and inclined surfaces. of the packing rings. rSuch gas as escapes into thel groove 92 merely pushes the ring'-88 over against the flange 84 without affecting the, engagement of the ring 88 with the cylindricalisurfa'ce 80. The fit ofthe parts is loose enough to allow the ring carrier and yrings to be carried "around in the pockets,

a feature of considerable importance, sincefrom `the lspirit of my invention, and I doA not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated *by the subj oined claims. I claim:

1. A rotary engine comprising a'casing that includes a. cylinder, an engine shaft `mounted in the casing, rotors comprising disks concentric with and loose upon the er1- gine shaft, pistons traveling in the cylinder, saidpistons being rigid with the corresponding rotor-disks, a disk loose upon the engine shaft under all conditions and interposed betweenfthe'rotor-disks, said ro- .tor-disks bein larranged to closely engage the'last mentioned disk to insure a tight seal for the cylinder, and means forftransmitting motion from the. rotors to the engine shaft.

2. A rotary engine comprising a casing that lincludesa cylinder, an engine shaft mounted in the casing," rotors comprising disks concentric with and loose gine shaft, Vsaid disks including at annular .rin .along their outer margins, pistons traveling in the cylinder, said pistons being rigid lwithrthe corresponding rotor-disks, a

` diskalways loose upon the engine shaft and 4,

inte osed `between the rotor-disks, said last mentioned disk including fiat annular ringsy along its ,outer margin with which the annular rings on the rotor-disks respectively engage, whereby a close seal between the parts is secured, and means for transmitting Amotion from the rotors to the engine shaft.

3. A rotary'engine comprising acasing in' which a cylinderis formed, an. engine shaftmounted in the casing, a rotor com- ,prising a disk cov-axial with the engine shaft, said rotor also including a piston that travels in the cylinder, said casln 'having l an annular ocketopening towar the ro- I tor-disk' along the outer edgeof the latter,

the pocket taperingi inwardly from the openlng, an annular ring carrier floating in the pocket, 'said carrier including a the uion the enbase and a pair of spaced flanges projecting therefrom, an expansihle sealing ring carried by the ring carrier, said ring hearingagainst land conformin ing-surface of the pocket, w ereby the ring carrier is forced laterally into frictional'en gagement with the rotor-disk.'

4. A rotary .engine vcomprising a casing in which aH cylinder is formed, an engine shaft mounted in the casing, aI rotor comprising a disk co-aXial with thel engine shaft, said rotor valso including a piston that travels in the cylinder, saidpcaslng having an annular pocket openin toward the rotor-disk along' the outer e ge Iof the latter,

the pocket tapering inwardly. from the` opening, an annular rlng carrier floating in ocket, said ring carrier having a c ircumferential groove therein, an expansible sealing ring carried by the ring carrier, said ring bearing. against and conforming to the tapering surface of the ocket, whereby' the ring carrier is forced aterally into frictional engagement'with the rotor-disk. 5. A rotary engine comprising a casing 1n which a cylinder4 is formed, an engine shaft mountedl in the casing, a rotor com-A priising a disk co-axial with the'engine shaft, said rotor also including a piston that travels in the cylinder, said casing having" an annular pocket openn toward the r0- tor-disk along the outer edge of the latter, the pocket tapering inwardly from the opening for a portion of its depth, the remainder ofthe pocket having its walls perpendicular to the rotor-disk, an annular ring carrier floating in the pocket, said ring carrier having spaced circumferential grooves therein, a sealing ring carried in one ofthe l.grooves and having its surface conforming to the "wall of the tapering portion of the pocket, whereby the lring carrier into frictional engageI is forced laterally ment with the rotor-disk and .leakage is avoided. i

6. -A rotary engine comprising a casing in which 'a cylinder is formed, an engine shaft fmounted in the casing, a rotor comprising a disk co-axial with the engine shaft,I said rotor also including Aa piston that travels in the cylinder, said casing having an annular pocket opening toward the r0- tor-disk along the outer edge lof the latter,

ythe pocket tapering inwardly from the opening for a portion of its depth, the remainder of the pocket havin its wallsrper- `pendicular tothe rotor-'dis an' annular ring carrier iloatingin the pocket, said ring carrier including a base andthree spaced parallel flanges projecting therefrom whereby two circumferential grooves are formed, one of the ianges bearing on the rotordisk, a sealing ring carried in the groove adjacent the last mentioned iiange and conforming to the wall of the -'tapering portionof the pocket, a second sealing ring carried in the other groove and conforming to the wall of the remaining portion of the pocket, there being a circumferential groove in the wall of the second intermediate flange nearest the rst groove for the reception of gases that leak past the first sealin ring.

i 7. A casing, a rotor-disk revolu le there- 1n, said casing having an annular pocket opening toward the rotor-disk along the outer edge of the latter, said pocket tapering inwardly from the opening for a portion of its depth, the remainder of the pocket having its walls perpendicular to the rotordisk, and a pair of sealing rings located in the pocket, one conforming to the tapering portion of the pocket and the other to the remaining portion.

8. A casing, a rotor-disk revoluble therein, said casing having an annular pocket opening toward the rotor-disk and having a portion taperin away from said rotor-disk, a ring carrier t erein bearing on the rotordisk, and a sealing ring co-acting with the tapering portion of the pocket and with the carrier to crowd the latter over. against the rotor-disk.

9. An engine comprising a casing, a roltor-disk revoluble therein, said casmg having an annular pocket opening toward the rotor-disk, a ring carrier in the pocket and bearing on the rotor-disk, and a sealing ring supported by the carrier and pressing on the wall of the pocket.

HOWARD L. WEED. 

